Fresh jerkbait advice 2025
Brian_Reeves reply :
I plinked through the search feature stuff, but wanted to get some fresh tips from you jerkaholics out there.
I'm a big fan of Rapala's jerkbaits. Both the Husky Jerk and the X-Rap have done well for me. I have a few pointers hidden away for tournament use too.
Let me in on some of the fine-tuned jerkbait tactics. The whens, wheres, hows...all of it. I know how to work them but they are definitely not my strong suite. Fresh advice is always good 
Certified Public Angler reply :
bump, advice here too pls.
roadwarrior reply :
First of all, fishing jerkbaits is my favorite technique,
but not my most productive.
In general, I fish jerkbaits when the best other option
might be topwater. With any lure, the key is location
and that's the case here, too. With jerkbaits, structure
is much more user friendly than cover.
When fish are very active, I like the action of the Rapala
X-Rap and Husky jerk, worked fast. "Normally" I prefer
the more subtle action of Pointers, worked slow.
Regardless of the brand or whether you work them fast,
slow, deep or shallow, this class of lure woks best with a
complete pause on slack line. When fishing a Pointer, the
pause may be ten to fifteen seconds or even longer.
The strike is always aggressive...very aggressive.
Bass don't bump the lure or nibble on it, they strike violently
intending to kill it! That's what makes fishing a jerkbait so
much fun and why this class of lure is my favorite.
8-)
Matt 825 reply :
I agree with Roadwarrior. Great advice. I fish jerkbaits when the water is 55 or below usually. I love the Pointers and like Roadwarrior said the long pause is sometimes the key between 0 fish and loading the boat with giant Bass.
A jerkbait bite from a 5 IB + fish is one of the great feelings in all of fishing.
Certified Public Angler reply :
so are you doing as the lures name says and jerking it slowly with pauses of 10-15 seconds in there or just cranking slowly with pauses?
roadwarrior reply :
Jerk-jerk-pause-jerk-pause-jerk-jerk-pause might be one pattern.
The cadence is a matter of trial an error, but pay attention to what you're doing. When you find the right one it will last the rest of the outing. I usually start out with long sweeps and an extended pause, then work up to other patterns. But let me emphasize again, regardless of the pattern, a complete pause on slack line is the key.
8-)
fathom reply :
we all do things at different speeds but, if you can work a pop-r, you can work a jerkbait...only difference is one's on top of the water and one's 5' down in the water.
think "underwater pop-r" to get the hang of it and work your way up from there.
some folks jerk hardbaits all year long but, it seems to work better for me in the cooler waters...in warmer waters, i seem to switch off to the senko.
Primus reply :
One factor to consider when fishing jerbaits is line selection. There are times when you want the bait to get a little deeper(esp. early spring when they are on deeper flats and the water is colder) that Florocarbon line because it sinks will get you the extra depth. I will fish slower at this time sometimes pausing up 30 seconds or more between sweeps. As we get into mid to late spring and as the majority of fish move shallower I like to use mono because of the increased weed growth I want my baits to run a little shallower and because of the increased metabolism the fish move a greater distance to take your bait. At this time I will speed up my cadence, I normally will fish 3 rips/brief pause/2 rips but will expieriment as neeeded. I generally rip the bait by twitching the slack (sort of like an underwater Zara spook but even more aggresive). I generally put away my jerks for the summer and will use them sporadically in the fall. With that being said if you want a bait such as the X rap to have a real exaggerated action which might be good for summer try fishing it with braid using a florocarbon leader. Though jerks can be effective at times during the summer (esp. for smallmouth) I usually exchange the 2 stuffed plano boxes of jerks for more deep water cranks & topwaters.
basspimple reply :
i like a tail feather on my huskies. especially this time of year. gives it a more fluid look imo. also try it around some docks. just jerk it up to wher the fish are positioned and kill it. i had great luck doing that last year this time. ive had fish smash it in 50 degree water doing this.
-j
LooksLikeSinbad reply :
Great tips here folks.
You should check out the Iaconelli jerkbait article on this site if you haven't already.
roadwarrior reply :
QuoteGreat tips here folks.You should check out the Iaconelli jerkbait article on this site if you haven't already.
Excellent article!
8-)
mrbassky reply :
Suspending jerkbaits and floating jerkbaits are a different beast altogether. I firmly believe if you have clear enough water you can catch fish on one depending on water clarity most of the time. Water clarity is key then its a matter of finding the right action and depth.
Dan: reply :
I am going to be trying some of these tips this fall and winter. If I don't do well with my jerkbait collection I've gathered, look for some deals in the flea market section come spring.
Chris at Tech reply :
QuoteThe strike is always aggressive...very aggressive.
Bass don't bump the lure or nibble on it, they strike violently
intending to kill it!
Funny...for me, usually I don't feel the bite. Rather the weight of the fish is just there after I pause the bait and try to jerk again.
bass wrangler569 reply :
QuoteFunny...for me, usually I don't feel the bite. Rather the weight of the fish is just there after I pause the bait and try to jerk again.
Whenever the fish hits mid-jerk, I never really feel the hit. Mostly, it just feels like the jerkbait hit a brick wall. However, when the fish hit it on the pause, they REALLY crush it.
As far as advice, don't be afraid to use big jerkbaits, even for smallmouth. I've caught lots of smallies on the 128 Pointers, especially in the fall and early spring. In a tournament a few weeks ago I had a smallie that was barely 17" swallow all 5" of my 128 pointer. It hit it on the pause and it almost ripped the rod out of my hands. That same day my partner hooked 2 18" smallies on one cast with a big pointer and there was another 18" bass behind them trying to steal it! As far as models, I like to use the slender pointers in the summer or when the fish are really active, smallies seem to like that extra action. In the spring and fall I use the regular pointers almost exclusively.
Jig Thrower reply :
great advice!
Brian_Reeves reply :
I've loaded up on some pointers, x-raps, husky jerks, and the bass pro shops jerkbaits. I've been leaning on my traditional crankbait colors. Gold black back, chrome blue back, and chrome black back. I'm going to throw in some bone whites and maybe another color or two, depending on what catches my eye. What colors seem to excel on jerkbaits?
Jerkbaits are kind of an ignored class of bait for me. I'm not sure why, because when I do fish them, I generally do pretty decent. I think my main problem was fishing them with a spinnerbait rod and I'd get wore out from them after awhile. I'm wanting to try to use them on a few of the BFL tournaments I'm fishing next year as well as perhaps up in Kentucky Lake. I guess the question here is what kind of rod/reel seems to perform best with jerkbaits
Jigs and soft plastics have been the only real compliment to my crankbait/spinnerbait apporach to bass fishing. Time to add in another class of baits. This is next year's project.
Primus reply :
Brian, you might want to add some transluscent colors like Ghost and Pro Blue there will be times in clear water when the extra flash will spook fish. Regarding rod and reel, for me it's a personal preference but I prefer a 6'6" medium action spinning rod for most jerks.
roadwarrior reply :
The rod I use is a St. Croix Avid AVC66MF which has a soft tip.
The 6 1/2' length makes working topwater and jerkbaits a breeze.
For colors, I like green and white (baby bass); blue & silver with
an orange belly; black & silver and plain white.
8-)
Tokyo Tony reply :
My favorite jerkbait technique is making a long cast, aggressively jerking and twitching the bait (I mean ridiculously aggressive) for the first 1/3 to 1/2 of the cast, then pausing the bait. Then slow down, twitch, pause, twitch twitch, pause, etc. I learned this from Al Lindner (on his show), and it's a real killer for smallmouth. The theory is that the erratic initial action really attracts the attention of the fish, then when it slows down, the fish will go in for the kill. IT WORKS 8-)
A lot of times the fish will actually nail the bait during the attraction phase, which is exciting.
I generally fish jerkbaits in clear water conditions, year-round. My favorite color is generally white, or some kind of bone color. My all-around favorite color is LC Ghost Minnow. It is the most natural-looking bait pattern I've ever seen. Sometimes it's fun to fish white X-Raps with a bright pink back. Al Lindner says that's one of his favorite smallie colors. You can really see it well in the water. For murkier water, not much can beat a clown-colored X-Rap.
I usually fish jerkbaits on a spinning 6'6" Loomis IMX, M power, fast action. 10lb test power pro with a 4-10 foot flouro leader and a 3000 Stradic FI. I'm looking to switch to a 7 foot next year for casting distance.
Matt 825 reply :
I use a 7' spinning as my main jerkbait rod but most guys use a 6' or a 6'6". Length is your preference, but a soft tip is a must.
For colors in clear water I like Ghost Minnow, Watermelon Seed, Yellow Perch, Bone, Baby Bass and sometimes American Shad when Herring are around. In slightly stained water I throw Sour Grape, Fire Tiger and Black, but mostly fish it in clear water.
bassnleo reply :
In my experience a jerkbait bite can also be very dependant on the right weather conditions.
As an example, I've been fishing a local river here and fishing has been very good, water temps were in the high to mid 40's last time I was out. Visibility is 3+ feet. On calm days the fish would not touch a jerkbait and wanted baits like tubes drug or hopped on the bottom.
If the wind came up, and if it was sunny, the jerkbait bite really turned on. With sun and wind I personally like a bait with ALOT of flash like a sliver bait with black or blue backs. On occasion, with a little lower light and wind I can get 'em on solid colors like white or chartruese.
So,,,in my experience, wind was key. Sun and wind coupled with lower water temps and good visibilty usually made optimum conditions for a good jerkbait bite. When the wind was slack I found that other baits and presentations were more effective.
Like already mentioned, I change cadence until I find one that gets bit. Like roadwarrior mentioned, jerking the bait with a slack line is also critical. Slack in the line allows the bait to dart and dance more.
My primary jerkbaits for this time of year are suspending ones. In the spring I will use a floating model but I'm usually waking it rather than jerking it down.
I mostly use Rapala's but have had some success on Smithwick baits also. I just haven't been able to convince myself that the more expensive baits do any better than what I currently use, maybe someday
Pitchinkid reply :
I think size and color of your area's baitfish comes into play with alot of jerkbaits regardless of what kind it is. (I.E. rapala,luckycraft,strikeking,) When pausing a jerkbait, the fish gets a really good look at your bait, so "match the hatch". dont be afraid to let that thing sit for 20 - 30 seconds. Ive had some explosive, rod ripping bites and some that felt like a fish farted on the line. good luck, theres alot of good advice from these guys
Chris at Tech reply :
QuoteI guess the question here is what kind of rod/reel seems to perform best with jerkbaits
I STRONGLY prefer spinning equipment for hard jerkbait fishing. I find it much more comfortable than casting equipment.
This year, I've found that my 6'6" BPS Extreme MH rod (rated for 1/4 - 5/8) with a Stradic 2500 is pretty darn good for this. I'm able to comfortably throw both Pointer 78s and 100s, as well as the smaller and larger X-raps.
I've got the same rod that RW recommends and it does work well for this application. However, my wrists are much bigger fans of the spinning outfit.
For colors, I like American Shad, Ghost Minnow, Chartreuse Shad, and the Rapala silver and gold versions.
roadwarrior reply :
QuoteQuoteI guess the question here is what kind of rod/reel seems to perform best with jerkbaitsI STRONGLY prefer spinning equipment for hard jerkbait fishing. I find it much more comfortable than casting equipment.
This year, I've found that my 6'6" BPS Extreme MH rod (rated for 1/4 - 5/8) with a Stradic 2500 is pretty darn good for this. I'm able to comfortably throw both Pointer 78s and 100s, as well as the smaller and larger X-raps.
I've got the same rod that RW recommends and it does work well for this application. However, my wrists are much bigger fans of the spinning outfit.
For colors, I like American Shad, Ghost Minnow, Chartreuse Shad, and the Rapala silver and gold versions.
Well, I see your point. I bought a Fenwick Techna AVS70MM specifically for fishing jerkbaits at nigth,
but find myself using it more and more. What I particularly like about this rod is how well it casts the lighter
lures (X-Raps). Still, my main rod is the Avid.
Slightly off-topic. The Avid AVC66MF is also a great all-around rod for just about every medium weight lure. However, it's not for soft plastics or jigs. I saddled mine up with a Shimano Core and in addition to jerkbaits, I use it for spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and topwater.
8-)
snuffy33 reply :
Chris at Tech reply :
Quote
Slightly off-topic. The Avid AVC66MF is also a great all-around rod for just about every medium weight lure. However, it's not for soft plastics or jigs. 8-)
roadwarrior reply :
The tip is soft which is an advantage for many techniques.
However, jigs and soft plastics require a firm tip mostly
for feel (sensitivity), but also for help with the hook set.
edit:
Hey Chris at Tech!
I guess we were tying at the same time
and you were faster! Sounds like we're
on the same page.
-Kent
8-)
snuffy33 reply :
Two good answers.
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